


Old Enemies

by 18lzytwner



Series: ThunderCats Second Series [3]
Category: Thundercats (1985)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-05-13
Updated: 2007-05-13
Packaged: 2019-07-03 17:54:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 23
Words: 16,265
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15823983
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/18lzytwner/pseuds/18lzytwner
Summary: What happens when Mumm-Ra gets a hold of an ancient sacred amulet and the Mutants make a return as well?





	1. Chapter 1

In the far reaches of the galaxy on a planet called Way Out Back, Captain Bragg sat outside his Circus Train. He had some new scum of the universe he had to go catch but first he'd have to drop off his current load of criminals. The Mutants, as they were called, were one of the most disgusting groups of criminals he'd encountered. The Lunatacs were better than them and he hated those Plundarian freaks as well.

"Mandora, Evil Chaser First Class, calling Captain Bragg. Come in Captain Bragg." Bragg made a face and picked up the portable radio's receiver.

"This is Captain Bragg." He responded.

"The prisoner hand over has been moved up to oh-one-hundred hours." Mandora told him. Bragg looked at his watch and realized that that was only two hours from now.

"Why the sudden change in plans?" He asked, a little confused.

"They have to be transferred to the new Penal Planet instead of the first. There was a riot and the situation is not quite under control." The Evil Chaser explained.

"All right. I'll meet you there in a couple hours." Bragg confirmed.

"Excellent. Mandora out." The transmission ended. Captain Bragg picked himself up and headed for the locomotive engine on his train. He revved the engine and shot off into space causing the Mutants in the back cars to be slammed into the back of their cages. Bragg smirked, as he always loved to do that.

On the other side of the galaxy, a leader stood in the mouth of the Cat's Head. He watched the sun come up and saw it's rays stretch across the mountaintops and the plains beneath them. Today would bring about a momentous occasion. The recruits were no longer recruits. They were to become fully-fledged Thunder Guard members and two platoons of them were being sent to look over Third Earth. That would mean that Pumyra, Ben-Gali, Lynx-O, and Tygra would join the rest of the ThunderCats on New Thundera.

Panthro had successfully duplicated the Lockti's technology and with the help of the other Thunderians they had built two interstellar ships capable of holding up to fifty people each. More ships were in the works as Panthro thought they should be ready to escape the planet if necessary. Those ships would be bigger and hold at least one hundred people.

In about two hours, he would be addressing all the peoples of New Thundera and it would be broadcast on Third Earth as well. That was a large amount of people watching him and his stomach churned with nerves.

"I thought I'd find you here." A familiar voice said. "A lot on your mind, huh?"

"A lot would be an understatement. I feel like I'm about to lose last night's dinner." He half smiled and turned to his companion.

"I can imagine. You kept kicking me last night." Cheetara smiled as she wrapped her long slender arms around the lion's neck.

"Sorry about that. I tend to toss and turn when I have a lot in my mind." Lion-O said as he put his arms around her waist.

"Then you must be thinking a lot because I've gotten the bruises to prove it." She teased. The lion smirked and kissed her forehead.

"I don't suppose I could make it up to you in any way." He wondered.

"Hmm I'll think of something." Cheetara said slyly. Their lips met and Lion-O couldn't help but reach down and squeeze her buttocks.

"Oh, you'll pay for that Lord Lion-O." The cheetah said as they separated.

"What did I do?" He asked trying to play innocent. They kissed again before heading down to the kitchen for a bite to eat.

Mumm-Ra watched his bubbling cauldron. He smiled at his cleverness but in the back of his mind he knew that the Ancient Spirits of Evil would love to wipe that smile off his face. With the last attempt to rid himself of the ThunderCats having gone badly, they weren't happy as usual. However, tricking Captain Bragg into believing Mandora had changed the time and place of the prisoner drop off was a bit of genius. Now all he had to do was meet the bounty hunter on the abandoned second Penal Planet and free the Mutants. Then they would be indebted to him and forced to do what he wanted. He laughed and transformed himself into Mandora. With his increased powers it only took a snap of his fingers and the miserable mummy was where he was supposed to be. Now all that was left to do was wait.


	2. Chapter 2

Lion-O fumbled with the blue buttons on his dress uniform. Since he was addressing the troops he had to wear the military outfit. It was a tradition his father had honored and so would he as would the next Lord of the ThunderCats. The blue coat and pants showed off his large shoulders and long legs. The lapels that were on his shoulders had the Cat Signal on them along with five stars signifying that he was Lord of the ThunderCats and King of the Thunderian people.

"You look handsome." Cheetara said as she entered his bedchamber.

"Thank you." He smiled and turned around to face her. He was caught off guard by her appearance. She wore a gold dress that would have reached the floor should she not have been wearing her gold high heels. The top of the dress showed off her ample chest but not to the point of being over done.

"Great Jaga you look beautiful." The lion murmured. She blushed.

"Thank you. I haven't worn something this nice since you were officially crowned Lord and King." The cheetah told him.

"We shall have to rectify that." Lion-O leaned in and gave her a soft kiss on the lips.

"Come Lord Lion-O your troops await inspection." Cheetara reminded him when they parted. He nodded and held out his arm. The cheetah took it and they walked out of the room and down to the entrance to Cat's Lair.

The Lord of the ThunderCats took his place at the podium and Cheetara moved off to the side to stand with the other ThunderCats. Snarfer came up to the lion.

"I have the broadcast set up properly just speak loudly and clearly and we should be all set, snarfer, snarfer." The young snarf said.

"Thank you Snarfer." Lion-O smiled. Snarfer smiled back and ran to the control center that was over to the side of the podium. He gave the lion the thumbs up and everything was set.

"ThunderCats, Thunderians, and peoples of both New Thundera and Third Earth, today is a proud day in our history. It is my pleasure today to announce that the Thunder Guard has been reinstated. It is not a light task they take on. They are sworn to protect the people and uphold the Code of Thundera. The one hundred that stand before us have sworn to do everything in their power to perform these tasks and do them better than anyone." A cheer went up from the crowd gathered and from Third Earth.

"Thunder Guard, ten hut!" The command went out and the one hundred stood at attention.

"You are to be deployed at sixteen hundred hours today and head for Third Earth. You will remind those that break the law that there are consequences. You will aide those in need and you will ensure the peace." Lion-O told them. The Commander-In-Chief then raised his left fist and threw it against his right shoulder.

"For Thundera!" He called out.

"SIR, YES, SIR!" One hundred voices called out as they put their fists to their shoulders.

"For Honor, Truth, Justice, and Loyalty!" Lion-O called and pounded his shoulder again.

"SIR, YES, SIR!" The voices rang out in unison again and fists flew against shoulders.

"Dismissed!" Lion-O moved his fist from his shoulder and took his right hand, put the tips of his fingers parallel to his forehead. He then pulled his hand out a few inches from his forehead and then dropped his hand back at his side. The Thunder Guard followed suit. They then pivoted on their heels and marched back toward the base. A cheer went up as the crowd watched their soldiers leave. This was truly a great day.

Unbeknownst to the Thunderians, Captain Bragg's Circus Train was landing on the second Penal Planet. Mumm-Ra chuckled as the train came to a stop.  _This was almost too easy_ , he said to himself.


	3. Chapter 3

Captain Bragg pulled himself out of his chair and walked over to the door. He was tired and was looking forward to being rid of those lousy Mutants.

"Something doesn't feel right." His bird friend said. Bragg sighed.

"Do you want to be rid of them?" He asked.

"Of course I do, nothing but trouble those brutes." The crow replied.

"Well then lets have a look at our friend Mandora." Bragg said. He continued on over to the door hatch and pressed a button. The birdbrain was right something didn't feel right. He shook his head.  _Stupid animal_ , he said to himself.

"Come on Captain Bragg. No more dawdling." The fake Mandora said.

"All right, all right. Don't get your panties in a bunch." The words came out before he realized what he said and he expected the Evil Chaser to give him what for but instead she stood there. That seemed odd but he thanked his lucky stars and moved toward the first car of the train.

"What are you doing?" Jackelman asked Bragg.

"Handing you over, you fur ball." The Captain told him. Immediately the jackal began to whimper and whine.

"Shut up!" He said. It didn't work but he had to say it.

"Mandora aren't you going to help me take care of these villains?" Bragg asked.

"Oh I'll help you." Mandora's voice changed and Bragg watched as the Evil Chaser's clothes and skin melted away and there before him stood a mummy with bulging muscles.

"What the…" the bounty hunter didn't get the chance to finish that sentence as Mumm-Ra lifted his hands and blasted him. The last thing he remembered was the crow squawking,

"I told you so!"

WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

Pumyra lifted the last box and tried to hoist it up into the Feliner's cargo bay. Someone had seriously over packed it and she struggled to lift it up. The puma started to mumble under her breath and put the package down.

"Need some help?" A familiar voice wondered. She twirled around and saw a kind face. Ben-Gali moved in and kissed her gently. A smile crossed Pumyra's lips.

"Well I do need to get this ridiculously heavy box into the Feliner. It's the last one and I now understand why I had to use a dolly to get it out here." She told him.

"It can't be  _that_  heavy. You're a strong woman you should have been able to lift it." Ben-Gali teased. He bent over and picked up the box. Pumyra had been right; the box  _was_  really heavy. However he made a little show of it and pretended that she had been jerking his chain. When he finally got the box into the Feliner, the white tiger shut the storage compartment.

"You're a jerk." She told him.

"How could you say such a thing?" Ben-Gali looked wounded. Pumyra grabbed him and pulled him to her. His eyebrows went up and down a few times.

"My, my aren't we feisty." The two were about to discover what each other had eaten for lunch when Lynx-O called out to them.

"The Thunder Guard should be here in ten minutes. Make a sweep of the Lair and make sure you didn't leave anything behind." The older ThunderCat told them. The two rolled their eyes.

"Don't roll your eyes at me. You don't want to leave any of your personal items behind do you?" Lynx-O scolded them. Pumyra and Ben-Gali laughed as they ran back inside to do as their friend had said.

"Ah to be young again." Lynx-O sighed. He climbed inside the Feliner and made sure the Braille Board was in place. That's when he heard Ben-Gali shouting at the top of his lungs.


	4. Chapter 4

Lynx-O left the Feliner as fast as possible and headed for Cat's Lair. Whatever was the problem, it had to be something serious, as Ben-Gali never raised his voice unless the occasion warranted it. The lynx entered the fortress and ran down the hall. He found Ben-Gali, Tygra, and Pumyra in the control room.

"What's going on?" He asked.

"We have lost all communication. I tried calling the recruits as they informed me that they were entering the atmosphere. However I can't get through. The communication channel isn't working and they are off course." Lynx-O could hear the frustration in Tygra's voice from under the computer console.

"I ran diagnostics earlier and everything was working." Pumyra said.

"What are their current coordinates?" Lynx-O asked.

"I have them heading straight for the Berbil village." Ben-Gali informed them.

"I'll get on the horn in the Feliner and give them correct coordinates." Pumyra said and in a flash she had left the control room.

"Is everything ready to go?" Lynx-O asked after she left.

"All set. We just have to get these guys in safely and figured out what went wrong in here." The white tiger said.

"We cannot be late arriving on New Thundera. It is bad enough the Feliner isn't outfitted with the Lockti's technology and it will take ten hours to reach our home." Tygra grumbled from under the computer.

"I hear you." His brother tiger agreed.

"How do you figure on the recruits getting off course?" Lynx-O wondered.

"That's a good question. I know that Panthro has the coordinates programmed into the troop ship's computer. Their charts aren't off and for most of the way they should be on auto-pilot." Tygra told them, he continued to examine the wiring and couldn't find any problems. The wires seemed to be connected properly and nothing appeared to be out of the ordinary.

"Hey you need some help in there?" Ben-Gali asked.

"If I could find what was wrong. Nothing appears to be fried under here. Press the COM button and try it again." Tygra said. The white tiger went over to the board and pressed the button. Sparks flew underneath the terminal and Tygra growled.

"Damn it!" He cursed.

"Are you all right?" Lynx-O asked.

"I'll be fine. Found what the problem was. The wires were switched around. Negative to negative not negative to positive." The orange tiger made light of it. Before Ben-Gali could say anything Pumyra raced back into the control room.

"I gave them correct coordinates and they are coming in as we speak." She brought them up to date.

"Excellent, then we'll be on our way." Lynx-O smiled.

WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

Meanwhile Captain Bragg awoke to see Mandora staring at him. She had this very displeased look on her face.

"What are you doing here? Where are the Mutants?" The Evil Chaser immediately barraged him with questions.

"You called and moved up the time for the exchange." He said wincing. Looking down he saw the burn marks, which had to be from the energy blasts from that creature. Mandora gave him a look as she grabbed her first aid kit out of her motorcycle.

"What are you taking about? Why would I do that?" She asked, her tone was a little softer but still gruff.

"I thought it was odd but I didn't question. When I got here, you or someone that looked like you told me to release the prisoners. I started to do so and suddenly you became this large mummy thing. I…" Mandora cut him off.

"Mumm-Ra." She spat.


	5. Chapter 5

Lion-O sat in the control room on New Thundera and waited to hear from the Feliner. They had called earlier and explained the situation, so he was happy to hear that everything had worked out ok. Now they were to call once they were half way through their trip, just to check in.

The Lord of the ThunderCats continued to scan the planet for any signs of bad activity. It had been quiet as of late and personally he was getting a little suspicious. He hated feeling like that but since their arrival everyday had brought trouble. The doors to the control room opened and he turned from the computer.

"Still nothing from the Feliner?" Panthro asked.

"No, but I expect any minute they'll get in touch. Any ideas about the troop transport having the wrong coordinates?" Lion-O wondered.

"I figure it might have been pilot error. I mean there are only so many times you can fly in a simulator. The experience with the real thing is something completely different. That and they're under a lot of stress." The panther said.

"I know but it just seems that if they used the programmed coordinates it shouldn't have been a problem." Lion-O told him.

"Well I'm having the engineers run some tests and look over the circuits. It's possible there was a malfunction but with my baby I doubt it." Panthro smirked. Lion-O smiled at that and the two turned to the computer screen. A few minutes later, a call came in.

"This is the Feliner calling New Thundera. Come in New Thundera." The video screen came up and the ThunderCats could see each other.

"New Thundera here. Go ahead Feliner." Lion-O instructed.

"Well so far so good. We should be there in about five hours." Ben-Gali smiled.

"Good. We have your rooms ready to go. I bet you guys will be exhausted." Panthro said.

"I could use a good cat nap." Tygra piped up. The group shared a chuckle but the laughter was soon over as the control panels went crazy.

"We have an emergency broadcast coming in. Sorry to cut things short." With that Lion-O ended the call and brought the other to the screen.

"Mandora Evil Chaser First Class calling New Thundera. Come in New Thundera."

"New Thundera here, this is Lion-O go ahead."

"The Mutants have escaped from Captain Bragg's Circus Train. Mumm-Ra impersonated me and broke them loose. By now they could be anywhere. I imagine they'll be coming to Third Earth or New Thundera." Mandora said.

"Not good. Those recruits aren't trained to deal with Mumm-Ra." Panthro shook his head.

"Thanks for the heads up, Mandora. We'll keep you and the Intergalactic Police informed if we see or hear anything." Lion-O told her.

"Good. Mandora Evil Chaser over and out." The call ended and Lion-O looked at Panthro.

"I knew things were too quiet." He said.

WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

Mumm-Ra stood before his bubbling cauldron on Third Earth. Slythe, Monkian, Jackalman, and Vultureman stood on the other side of it; none of them wanting to admit that they still got the willies from the mummy's first onyx pyramid.

"Why are we still here? We should be rebuilding Castle Plundarr, yessss?" Slythe asked. At this Mumm-Ra smirked.

"The four of your rebuild Castle Plundarr all by yourselves? Ha that is a good one." He said.

"We had slaves before, we can find more." Monkian told him.

"Silence! I will have no more talk about your pitiful excuse for a fortress! You owe me for saving your sorry behinds yet again! If all goes according to plan you can make Cat's Lair your new home." Mumm-Ra effectively silenced them.

"We're listening, oh great one, yessss." Slythe said.


	6. Chapter 6

"So what is your plan of action?" Panthro asked the Lord of the ThunderCats. Lion-O sat back in his chair and gave his friend an unsure look.

"I think that until Mumm-Ra and the Mutants rear their ugly heads that we can't do anything. However I really don't want to wait until they cause trouble either." He said.

"Maybe it's time we called a counsel meeting. We have to update the others anyway. Hopefully a group talk will help us make a decision." The panther suggested.

"An excellent idea, old friend. You call the Feliner and brief them. I'll round up the others and meet you in the counsel room in ten minutes." Lion-O told him. Panthro nodded and dialed up the Feliner on the large screen in the control room.

Cheetara, WilyKit, WilyKat, Snarf, Snarfer, Panthro, and Lion-O all sat in the counsel room, trying to come up with some sort of plan. Now that Third Earth was protected by the Thunder Guard, they had to make a good decision. More lives were at stake and no one wanted any chance of unnecessary deaths.

"The transport ships haven't been completed and our best way to Third Earth would be the Feliner and the ThunderStrike. Unfortunately, the soonest either vehicle could reach our destination would be ten hours." Panthro told the group.

"How long would it take to finish the transport ship?" Cheetara asked.

"Even with the engineers that stayed behind it would take almost a week." The panther said.

"Well we can't wait that long. How long would it take to overhaul the Feliner and ThunderStrike?" Lion-O wondered.

"I have to rewire everything and adjust the size of the fuel tanks. Just the Feliner alone would take two weeks at the minimum." Panthro informed him.

"Two weeks? Ugh." WilyKat said.

"I'm with Kat. Ugh." His sister Kit piped up.

"There's no way to circumvent the existing wires and just attach a larger fuel tanks? Snarfer, snarfer." The younger of the two Snarfs wondered.

"I built the Feliner and ThunderStrike to have just enough room for the existing wires. We didn't have a lot of excess metal when I built those puppies and the amount of wiring and where I'm going to feed it will be different for both vehicles. There is also the Braille Board to consider. It isn't an impossible job just something that will take longer than what we could have." Panthro explained.

"All right, well what's the next idea?" Snarf chimed in, all too eager to change the subject. He didn't mind flying but it was something he'd like to avoid.

"We know that Mumm-Ra will likely attack Third Earth because he believes the Thunder Guard wouldn't be as much as a threat to him as we would be. So why don't we surprise him?" Cheetara wondered.

"What do you mean?" WilyKit asked.

"Well the transport ships can get from Third Earth to New Thundera in approximately an hour and a half. What if we had one of the transport ships come back to New Thundera and pick a few of us up? Then in a matter of three hours we would ThunderCats on Third Earth and Mumm-Ra won't be expecting that." The cheetah explained.

"Hmmm, that sounds like an idea. We order the Thunder Guard to keep the plan under wraps. Then should Mumm-Ra attack Cat's Lair, those that go can pop out and surprise him." Panthro nodded.

"That'll scare him right of out of his bandages." Kat smirked.

"All right, then I guess it's settled. Who should go to Third Earth?" Lion-O asked. The group looked at each other.

Back on Third Earth, the Mutants scoured the furthest corners of the desert planet looking for what Mumm-Ra said they should find.

"So what are we looking for again?" Monkian asked.

"The Amulet of Seti, you fool." Slythe admonished him.

"And what does it do?" The monkey just never learned.

"It controls cats and in this particular case, ThunderCats. Mumm-Ra will order them to destroy each other and then the Sword of Omens and the Eye of Thundera will be ours. Now get back to work!" Slythe smacked Monkian upside the head with his tail. Vultureman watched the whole exchange. It was true that if the amulet still existed it would destroy the ThunderCats but he seriously doubted that Mumm-Ra would share in all his new found power and wealth. The mummy had double crossed them before and it wouldn't take much to do it again.


	7. Chapter 7

Hours passed and the Mutants were no closer to finding the Amulet of Seti than they had been before.

"This is hopeless. How are we supposed to find the stupid amulet in all this sand?" Jackalman complained.

"It's been nothing but a wild goose chase." Monkian agreed.

"Where is Vultureman?" Slythe asked, ignoring his whiny companions. The three stopped what they were doing and looked around. Vultureman was nowhere in sight. The only hint of the mutant was a trail of footprints.

"That bird brain! When I get my hands on him, he'll wish he was never born!" Slythe ran off in the direction of the prints.

Vultureman entered the black pyramid through the secret panel on one of its four sides. He slowly made his way down the long winding tunnels until he reached the main chamber. There stood Mumm-Ra's closed sarcophagus and the cauldron. All was quiet and a smirk crossed the vulture's face.

"Ancient Spirits of Evil…" the large animal god statues awoke from their slumber to listen to the unfamiliar voice.

"…transform this humble bird into the greatest warrior this planet has ever seen!" Bolts of lightening struck inside the pyramid and Mumm-Ra emerged from his sarcophagus.

"What in the name of everything evil is going on in here?" The mummy shouted. Much to his surprise he found a nine foot tall Vultureman before him. The bird now had larger muscles and wore a massive chest plate with two black snakes intertwined inside a red circle.

"Mumm-Ra, see how much you like being double crossed!" His voice boomed inside the pyramid as he slipped the Amulet of Seti around his neck.

"Vultureman, you will not stay in that form for long. Why don't we work together?" The mummy tried to get the mutant to listen.

"Why should I work with you? You will only stab me in the back and try to take my fair share of the glory." Vultureman asked him.

"You really want to transform back into your pathetic form and have your fellow Mutants attack and take all that you worked for? Together, they would never challenge us." Mumm-Ra tried to persuade the bird.

"I see your point but what guarantees do I have you won't try something?" The Mutant was not stupid. Mumm-Ra only looked out for himself and it would be foolish to think otherwise.

"You may keep the Amulet of Seti. Use it to your discretion. I will not question you. All I ask is that we split the spoils of victory fifty-fifty." The ever-living source of evil offered. Vultureman thought about it for a second and then shook his head.

"Deal. Now let's go kill some kitties."

WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

At Cat's Lair on Third Earth, Cheetara stood with the ThunderKittens and Panthro in the counsel room. They told the leaders of the Thunder Guard to keep their presence under strict silence. It was agreed that should Mumm-Ra or the Mutants show up, the ThunderCats would emerge from inside the Lair and aid the Thunder Guard to defeat them. When the commanders left, the ThunderCats sat in the counsel room together.

"So what now?" WilyKat asked.

"Now, we wait." Panthro said. They had no idea how short their wait would be.


	8. Chapter 8

Lion-O sat in the control room on New Thundera hoping that if he didn't hear anything from Third Earth that that was a good sign. The control room doors opened and Lynx-O made his way over to the seat nearest the Lord of the ThunderCats.

"I sense you are nervous. Want to talk about it?" The lynx wondered.

"That obvious huh?" Lion-O tried to smile.

"It's understandable, we are between a rock and a hard place but I think that is not what is bothering you as much." Lynx-O didn't waste time beating around the bush.

"Yes old friend, you are right. I fear I just threw Panthro, Cheetara, and the ThunderKittens to the wolves." The lion admitted.

"Regretting the decision you made earlier is not uncommon for a leader to experience. One thing you have to remember Lord Lion-O is that you have earned your place as Lord and King and that none of us questions it. We would all go into hell and back with you." The oldest ThunderCat told him.

"I appreciate your loyalty and your trust but sometimes I wonder if I was really meant for this. So many lives depend on my decisions and I don't want to see people getting hurt." Lion-o said.

"You have to be confident in yourself. People will get hurt; it's unfortunate but true. Your decision is based on what you think is best. Your fellow ThunderCats would call you on it if they thought something was amiss." Lynx-O reminded him.

"You're right but if something happens to her…" the Lord of the ThunderCats couldn't finish the thought. His friend nodded and said,

"As Lord you have to make decisions with your head. You did and now your heart is wondering what you were thinking. Think good thoughts Lion-O. Cheetara and the others will be fine; they can handle Mumm-Ra and the Mutants. Ben-Gali, Tygra, and Snarfer are working on one of the smaller ships in case there is an emergency."

"Yes well, even with the technology that we have been given, an hour and a half is too long if they are in immediate danger." Lion-O told him.

On Third Earth, the control room was full of activity. Alarms sounded and the Thunder Guard responded as they had been trained. Cheetara ran into the room to check out what was going on. Panthro and the ThunderKittens weren't too far behind her.

"Captain Tiberius status report!" The cheetah commanded.

"We have two bogeys coming in at twelve o'clock high." He informed her.

"Can you identify them?" Panthro asked.

"Zoom in Corporal." Tiberius ordered. The Corporal did as he was instructed and magnified the approaching enemy.

"Mumm-Ra and Vultureman?" Cheetara couldn't believe her eyes.

"Since when does that blasted Mutant fly?" Panthro banged his fist onto the panel in front of him.

"I don't know. Pull everyone inside. Alert all outposts and New Thundera." Cheetara took command.

"Yes ma'am. Private, radio the outposts. Corporal, call New Thundera." Captain Tiberius ordered. The pumiger then picked up the phone and called outside.

"Major Lupi, I have a direct order from Cheetara to pull everyone inside immediately." There wasn't any argument from the Major as Thunder Guard members flooded back inside Cat's Lair. Major Lupi entered the control room. She was the head of the company and in this situation was directly beneath the ThunderCats in rank.

"Sir, Ma'am, what is our next course of action?" The Litah asked.

"Ready the laser cannons and Catapult." Panthro commanded. Lupi gave a curt nod and picked up the phone. She gave the orders and now all that was left to do was wait for the order to fire.


	9. Chapter 9

Cheetara turned to Panthro. This had been her idea and now was no time to back down from it. The panther gave her a nod and she turned to the ThunderKittens and pulled them in close.

"Kit, Kat, should the worst happen to Panthro and myself you will be in charge. I know we've discussed this before, you know what to do." She spoke quietly to them. Both Kittens nodded and the cheetah turned back to the scene at hand.

"I have Lord Lion-O on the line." Corporal Wilde informed them. He quickly pulled the lion up on the small screen in front of him. Cheetara went over to the Corporal and the lower ranking man gave up his seat.

"What's wrong?" He asked. The cheetah wasted no time in explaining the situation. Lion-O's face fell, in the back of his mind he knew that the ship that the other ThunderCats were working on was at least an hour from being finished. It would then be another hour and a half before they would be able to reach their friends.

Panthro knew that they didn't have much time. Mumm-Ra and Vultureman would be in range of their weapons in a matter of seconds. Quickly he gave the order to Major Lupi to have her men fire as soon as the enemy was in range.

"Bogeys in range in ten seconds, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four three, two, one." Captain Tiberius finished the countdown, which was accentuated by the sound of the laser cannons firing. The sound was almost deafening as the Catapult fired as well.

Mumm-Ra and Vultureman weren't surprised at this attack and they were able to dodge the first few shots but the constant barrage was difficult to handle.

"Use the Amulet, Vultureman!" Mumm-Ra shouted as the hail of laser fire continued.

"Amulet of Seti, take control of those cats at the guns." The vulture ordered. A bright green light shot forth from the Amulet and within seconds the laser beams were no more.

"What the hell?" Panthro quickly pressed the COM button and barked at the men to continue firing. His answer was nothing but silence. Major Lupi commanded six of her troops to go up and get those guns firing again. They were off in a flash and after a minute one of the men radioed back to the control room.

"They are frozen in their places. We can't remove them from their seats." A Sergeant told them.

"Override the controls and begin firing!" Panthro ordered. The men at the controls worked furiously and just as their training required they had overridden the controls in under a minute. Laser beams shot back into the air.

Cheetara looked at Lion-O. The future was uncertain and she ached to be able to touch him. Instead she could only silently mouth the words 'I love you'. He mouthed them back and then she ended the connection.

Outside Mumm-Ra and Vultureman were once again dodging shots from Cat's Lair. The vulture picked up the Amulet again and said,

"This is getting annoying. Amulet of Seti control the entire Thunder Guard." Suddenly there was silence.

Inside Cat's Lair, the ThunderCats were shocked to see the men and women around them freeze.

"What's going on?" Kit asked.

"I have no idea but Mumm-Ra and Vultureman are in for a big surprise." Panthro told her.

"So what's the plan?" Cheetara looked to the panther.

"Take up hiding positions. When those two enter the Lair we'll take them by surprise." He told them.

"Then we'd better do it in a hurry because they're almost at the front door." Kat said looking at the large screen monitor. Quickly the ThunderCats found their positions.

Vultureman and Mumm-Ra walked into the control a few minutes later and took a look at their spoils of victory.

"Well now that we have control of the Thunder Guard getting to the ThunderCats shouldn't be a problem." Vultureman smiled confidently.

"Never underestimate those uppity cats." Mumm-Ra cautioned him.

"That's right, you shouldn't." Panthro said standing up from his hiding place. Cheetara and the ThunderKittens popped up as well.

"Look who we have here. I guess my birthday comes early this year." Mumm-Ra smirked.

"Oh I'm not sure you'll be saying that when I get through with you." Cheetara told him. Vultureman just laughed and held up the talisman that hung around his neck. The mummy assumed he would use it to take control of the ThunderCats but the Mutant had other ideas.

"Thunder Guard kill the ThunderCats." They watched as the soldiers suddenly came out of their frozen state and began to close in on them.


	10. Chapter 10

Cheetara looked at Panthro and saw the mighty panther pull his nun-chucks in front of him. He held them tight with the ends only being held up by his thumbs. The panther had his palms out toward them as if to say he was giving up. She knew that he didn't want to hurt the Thunder Guard members but if they had no choice they would have to.

The cheetah flipped her bo-staff to do the same as Panthro but the Thunder Guard continued to advance. The ThunderKittens saw what the elder ThunderCats were doing and made an almost imperceptible move of their heads. Panthro's incredibly trained cat's eyes saw the move and his eyes widened. WilyKit and WilyKat took this as a 'yes' and slowly reached into their pellet pouches. They both pulled out two capsules and slowly brought them for all to see. Then the Kittens nodded to each other and threw the pellets down.

Smoke billowed in the room and the ThunderCats headed for the door. Mumm-Ra coughed but Vultureman just laughed as the control room door could be heard to have opened.

"Thunder Guard after them!" He commanded. The soldiers were disorientated for a few seconds but they soon found their way out the door. Mumm-Ra and Vultureman stepped out into the hallway until the smoke cleared inside Cat's Lair's center of operations.

"I think you give those ThunderCats way too much credit Mumm-Ra. They fled like little babies." The vulture laughed.

"I thought we were going to control the ThunderCats. If those Thunderians kill them, how are we going to get Lion-O and the Sword of Omens? Their blasted leader will come over here and use us as target practice." Mumm-Ra ignored the over confident Mutant's remarks.

"You wanted him and the others here. Killing the others would certainly bring that cub to us. If he is angry, he'll attack without thinking things through. He'll make mistakes and we'll get what we want much easier. Don't forget you miserable mummy, I'm not as dumb as my compatriots." Vultureman squawked.

"Oh ssso we're dumb. Did you hear that Monkian?" The sudden appearance of Slythe and the other two Mutants caused Mumm-Ra and the transformed vulture to spin around.

"That's what I heard the traitor say." Monkian agreed with the reptile.

"Well well, so you finally decided to show up. Out in the desert long?" Vultureman challenged.

"You forgot that sand is grate for leaving footprints and it makes it easy to hunt prey." Despite the vulture's new size and strength, Slythe came right back with his own challenge.

"Mutants, I'm sure that we can work something out together." Mumm-Ra interrupted the pissing contest. They gave the mummy a look.

"The Thunder Guard is after the four ThunderCats, let us go back to my pyramid." Mumm-Ra suggested.

"What if they come back?" Jackelman asked.

"The Thunder Guard will come here when their task is completed. They are still under Vultureman's control and will do whatever he tells them." The ever-living source of evil responded. Then Mumm-Ra snapped his fingers and all five were transported back to the black pyramid.

After a few minutes of complete silence, there was movement inside the control room. A panel on the floor shifted and was moved away to reveal four ThunderCats. They emerged from their hiding place and Panthro placed the panels back over the compartments in the floor.

"Thanks Jaga, you put those spaces in." Cheetara said.

"Yes and thank WilyKit and WilyKat for reminding me." The panther smiled.


	11. Chapter 11

Back on New Thundera, Lion-O and the other ThunderCats had finally finished the last small ship. All five would fit in the craft, leaving the snarfs to man Cat's Lair.

"It'll be an hour and a half before we reach Third Earth." Lion-O said with worry. Tygra turned around in his seat and lowered his voice.

"Pull yourself together. That's the twelfth time you said that. We've been in situations like this before and you've never wavered. Don't do this now." It was uncharacteristic of the tiger to be so forthcoming but the Lord of the ThunderCats could see what he meant. Tygra had subtly hinted that if he and Cheetara being together was going to be a problem, then maybe he should rethink things.

"We lucked out that Panthro had been working on this one." Ben-Gali broke the uncomfortable silence that had settled inside the spaceship. He punched up the controls in front of him and the group watched as the hanger doors opened.

"He figured it had at least another three days before it was finished." The lion had seemingly snapped out of his earlier state and now sounded more like his old self.

"Well that was without Tygra and Ben-Gali." Pumyra smiled as the ship lifted out of the hanger. The afterburners were ignited and the vessel shot off toward Third Earth at a very fast speed.

Meanwhile Cheetara, Panthro, and the ThunderKittens desperately tried to contact New Thundera. The others would be walking right into a trap and they needed to know what was going on. Since the Thunder Guard had shifted weapons controls into override it took a different combination of button pushes and switch flips before the communication channels were open.

"Third Earth to New Thundera. Come in New Thundera." Panthro called.

"This is Snarfer on Third Earth. Boy are we glad to hear from you guys." Came the response.

"The Thunder Guard are under some sort of spell and they were given orders from Vultureman to kill ThunderCats." The panther told the young snarf.

"The others are already on their way. I'll give you the frequency to patch through to them with a portable." Snarfer said.

"How are they coming? None of the other ships were close to being ready." Panthro asked.

"The small one that holds ten. Tygra, Ben-Gali, Pumyra and I hammered it together. Lion-O kept an eye on the communication channels, gathered supplies, and then helped us too. We were able to get it done pretty quickly." The young snarf smiled with pride.

"I hate to break up this mechanic's session but we can't be hanging around. Eventually someone is going to figure out that we gave them the slip." Cheetara reminded them.

"Right. Use the frequency 1-2 on the portable and you should be able to pick them up once they enter the planet's atmosphere." Snarfer said. "I'll radio them and alert them to the situation." With that the call was disconnected. Panthro grabbed the portable radio from the cupboard on the wall and the ThunderCats headed out of the Lair.

"Where are we going to hide?" WilyKat asked as they walked toward the forest.

"That is a very good question." The panther replied.

"Can't we hide with the Berbils?" WilyKit wondered.

"We can't risk involving our friends. They could be killed for helping us." Cheetara told her.

"I think there is a cave system not too far away. That will be a good spot to hide." Panthro spoke up after checking their surroundings. The others agreed that the caves were their best bet and quickened their pace.

Over at the onyx pyramid, the Mutants and Mumm-Ra were trying to work out a deal. The ever-living source of evil watched as the squabbling between the Mutants continued. It was often a wonder how they got anything accomplished.

"All right Mutants. Let us not forget that there is still a Tower of Omens to use. With some of you at Cat's Lair and the others out there, this planet will easily be beaten into submission. Let us not waste time with immature name calling." The miserable mummy interrupted them.

"You are right, Mighty Mumm-Ra. But there is a traitor in our midst and he must be dealt with, yesss?" Slythe wondered as he jerked a thumb in the direction of the now shrinking Vultureman.

"He did what any one of you three would have done and you know it. If you expect me to believe that the great Slythe was going to share all his new found power, then I think you've been inhaling too much of your own warp gas." Mumm-Ra spat back at him. The argument continued until the Ancient Spirits of Evil interjected their own opinion.

"ENOUGH!" The animal god statues boomed. "Use the Amulet of Seti to destroy your enemies for they have tricked you. Look into the cauldron." The five evil creatures looked into the bubbling water and saw the ThunderCats running through the woods.

"If you want something done right, do it yourself." Mumm-Ra said. He snapped his fingers and all five cretins were gone from the pyramid.


	12. Chapter 12

In an instant, Mumm-Ra and the Mutants were in the forest. They could hear the underbrush being crushed not far away. Slythe signaled for the Mutants to fan out. The four moved along the bushes as silently as possible, hoping to catch the ThunderCats off guard.

Panthro suddenly stopped in his tracks causing the three cats behind him to collide into the panther. WilyKat started to speak but Panthro stopped him. Cheetara looked around them and immediately sensed the presence of others in the underbrush just outside the clearing they stood in.

"Jackal." She hissed. Panthro nodded and jerked his head slightly to the side.

"Reptile." He kept his voice low as he put the portable radio down. The panther then signaled for the ThunderCats to pull out their weapons. Just as they did, the Mutants came charging from their hiding places.

"So that was pond scum I smelled." Panthro smirked as he was confronted with Slythe.

"Hold your tongue, panther. It might be the last time you use it." The reptile challenged.

"So you want to try dog versus cat again Jackalman? It went so well for you the first two times." Cheetara twirled her bo-staff in her hand.

"Best three out of five." The jackal snarled.

"I think we can take this ape." WilyKit and Kat smiled.

"In your dreams Kittens." Monkian beat the front of his shield with his fist. At that moment, a now regular size Vultureman stepped closer to the group.

"I do believe you forgot someone ThunderCats." The Mutant grabbed the jewel from around his neck and barked out a command.

"Amulet of Seti, take hold of these ThunderCats!" Bright green light shot forth from the ancient talisman and it encircled the four cats. They tried to fight the strange light but to no avail.

"Fall in ThunderCats!" Vultureman squawked. Panthro, Cheetara, and the ThunderKittens stood up straight and put their weapons back where they were normally stored.

"Child's play." The bird smirked.

"Now why don't we get everyone back to kitty Cat's Lair. No doubt they've tried to contact the others with that radio." Mumm-Ra said. Vultureman issued the order and then used the Amulet of Seti to call all the Thunder Guard members back to the ThunderCats' fortress.

The small ship that was heading for Third Earth was about thirty minutes away from its destination when Lord Lion-O heard the Sword of Omens growl. Quickly he pulled the mighty weapon from the Claw Shield and put the hilt to his face.

"Sword of Omens, give me Sight-Beyond-Sight." A troubling scene was played before his eyes.

"Great Jaga!" The lion exclaimed.

"That can't be good." Ben-Gali said as he continued to check the ship's navigational system.

"What is it Lion-O?" Tygra asked.

"I can feel a disturbance. Something is fighting for control." Lynx-O told them. The others looked at him confused until their leader finally spoke.

"Cheetara, Panthro, and the ThunderKittens have been taken control of by some ancient magic. Vultureman called it the Amulet of Seti."

"Now with the others under his control, no doubt those Mutants will try to take over the planet." Pumyra scowled.

"It would seem that this is their plan but they also intended to bring us to Third Earth and we have played right into their trap." Tygra said.

"So it would seem. But perhaps there is a way to beat them at their own game." Lion-O told them.


	13. Chapter 13

Now back at Cat's Lair, the four ThunderCats were herded into the cells in the lower bowels of the fortress. They would be kept there until the others arrived. In the meantime, the Mutants had the Thunder Guard begin the round up the leaders of every village. If there was to be a new world order than the leaders would be the ones that would need to be the example. Unbeknownst to the villains upstairs there was one downstairs which had other ideas.

Cheetara sat in her cell trying to figure out what had just transpired. One instant she could feel something invading her mind and the next it was gone. However, she played along as if she was still under the control of the strange amulet Vultureman had. Panthro and the Kittens hadn't been so lucky; it was obvious from their vacant stares. Now puppets to the puppet master, they would hinder her instead of help. The cheetah knew she had to find a way to contact to Lion-O and the others.

She and the Lord of the ThunderCats shared a bond only those who had been chosen as mates could have. Perhaps through that and her more powerful sixth sense she could reach him. The cheetah pulled her legs up so that they were crossed in front of her. The cheetah closed her eyes and tried to channel her special ability as she had done before with the telepathy beam. Power welled up inside her and she could feel it coursing through every inch of her being.  _Lion-O. Lion-O._ She called to him in her thoughts.

Out in space, now only five minutes from landing on Third Earth, the Lord of the ThunderCats had a sudden pain in his head. He put his hands on his temples, trying to get the pain to subside. A voice called out to the lion; one recognized immediately.

"Cheetara." He muttered through clenched teeth. Tygra swiveled in his chair to find Lion-O in this position. He wanted to help him but the ship was about to enter Third Earth's atmosphere. The ThunderCats piloted the ship through the air, the outside of the metal vessel getting tremendously hot. Once they were through, Ben-Gali and Pumyra took control of the ship while Tygra ran to the aid of Lion-O.

"What happened?" The orange tiger asked.

"Somehow Cheetara told me what was going on. She isn't under Vultureman's power." Lion-O told him.

"How did she do that?" Tygra wondered.

"Cheetara's sixth sense is more powerful than we realize, when she digs deep inside herself, she can accomplish almost anything. That coupled with her special connection with Lion-O must have given her the power to contact him." Lynx-O spoke up.

"That could also explain why she isn't under the spell cast by that talisman." Lion-O nodded.

"We're landing." Ben-Gali informed the group. Once the ship was on the ground, the five disembarked and immediately fanned out to check the perimeter. Finding the surrounding field and rock formations to be clear, they now had to set up a plan.

"You talked about beating them at their own game earlier, Lion-O. What was your idea?" Pumyra asked.

"Tygra, you remember crawling into the main exhaust a few years back?" The Lord of the ThunderCats wondered.

"How could I forget?" He answered.

"Well what if you did that again? Only this time, I go with you?" The lion inquired.

"What are you thinking Lion-O? It's very risky to try to go down it without having the exhaust fry us to little kitty crispies." Tygra had a very concerned look on his face.

"Once we're inside we can free our four comrades and break Panthro and the Kittens of their spell. The Sword should easily let them free of Vultureman's hold." He told them.

"And what about us?" Ben-Gali asked.

"You three, when the Cat's Paw goes up, get inside and join us in the control room." The fearless leader said.

"So we're fighting the Thunder guard until we reach the control room? Sounds like we'll have our hands full." Lynx-O smirked.

"Yes. We don't have many options but if they want us to come to them, then come to them we will." Lion-O told them.


	14. Chapter 14

"You do realize this is absolute craziness, don't you?" Tygra asked as the two climbed the outside walls of Cat's Lair.

"I realize that going into the exhaust shaft is dangerous but a full on frontal assault would be just as dangerous. Besides, I doubt they are using the Lair at maximum power anyway. If they were the Cat's eyes would be lit up. Why are you so jumpy all of a sudden? You haven't been yourself lately." Lion-O wondered.

"Neither have you. Perhaps it is because we became too comfortable with the relative quiet. I know that on Third Earth, things had been way too quiet. We relaxed and now we're faced with dangers of old. We ourselves have become a little too rusty." The orange tiger told him as he climbed up into the pipe. He motioned for Lion-O to follow him and the two were soon sliding through the ductwork.

Meanwhile, Cheetara watched the room from inside her cell. She had heard movement outside in the hallway and had to be prepared should anyone enter the room. Not long passed before the door slid open and multiple members of the Thunder Guard brought in Rober-Bill and Rober-Belle, followed by Willa of the Warrior Maidens, and the leaders of the Balkans and Wollos. They were thrown into the cells that remained unoccupied and then the Thunder Guard left the room. Cheetara waited until the footsteps had disappeared then she reached through the bars of the cell to her left and whispered to the Berbils,

"Rober-Bill, Rober-Belle, what are you doing here?"

"Cheetara, we were about to ask you the same question." Bill said, trying to keep his mechanical voice as low as possible.

"It's a long story." The cheetah told them. Both bears nodded.

"They said we were going to be made an example of but this was after they led us from our village under false pretenses." Bill informed her. Cheetara's mind began to process what she'd heard. There was a very good chance that "example" meant, "kill for all to see". Not wanting to frighten them, she said nothing more about it.

"There has to be a way out of here." She told them.

"These bars are sturdy. We can't get out." Belle spoke up.

"There's always a way. It is apparent that my message to Lion-O did not get through, so we're on our own." The cheetah said. She had no idea how wrong she was.

Lion-O and Tygra exited the exhaust tube just in time before a blast of flames shot through.

"Great Jaga, that was close." Tygra said.

"You're not kidding. We would have gotten a really nasty sun burn." The lion joked. His friend just shook his head and pulled up the map of the Lair's lower levels off the computer.

"Best way to go unseen is through the utility corridor, until it comes out onto level five. From there its about three hundred feet to the brig." Tygra said.

"That's a long way to go before hitting our destination. Although there might not be any patrols since the Mutants think the others are under the power of the Amulet." Lion-O figured.

"We'll give it a shot. Anyway I can raise the cat's Paw about two feet and have it open for about a minute before someone in the control room notices anything." The tiger told him.

"All right, it's better than nothing. Do it and we'll get over to the cells." The Lord of the ThunderCats said. Tygra punched in a code and then the two took off.

Ben-Gali saw the Paw go up from their hiding positions and he quickly had the three sprint over. Lynx-O and Pumyra went first and then the white tiger began to squeeze through. A creaking alerted them to the giant paw coming down. Pumyra grabbed Ben-Gali and pulled. Between the two of them they just managed to get the tiger's toes through the space before the paw came down.


	15. Chapter 15

Cheetara extended her bo-staff and jammed it between two of the bars. Using all her strength, she pushed on the staff, in an attempt to force the bars apart. They moved ever so slightly but it was enough for the cheetah to keep trying. Again she pushed and they moved some more. She was about to try it for a third time when the main door in the room opened. Quickly the escape attempt was abandoned and the cheetah put her weapon away. Two familiar figures then walked into the room.

"Lion-O!" The name was barely loud enough for the lion to hear. He rushed over to the cell while Tygra punched in the code to open the cages on the desk that sat in the middle of the room. Lion-O waited for the door to open before pulling the cheetah to him.

"I got your message." He smiled.

"Thank Jaga." She said as she let him go. Freeing the others from their prisons, Tygra then came over to the two.

"Time to free Panthro and the Kittens." He said.

"Indeed. I'll try to keep the noise down." The lion winked, knowing full well that the room was soundproof.

"Thunder, thunder, thunder, ThunderCats HO!" The Cat Signal shot just high enough to fit under the ceiling. Panthro and the Kittens' eyes glowed as well as their symbols. Within seconds they were free.

"What the… how did we end up down here?" The panther asked.

"It's kind of involved but the bigger question is why the leaders of every village, this side of the planet are here." Lion-O shook his old friend's hand.

"Those filthy creatures said we were to be made an example of." Willa cut in.

"Well why don't we see what the Mutants and Mumm-Ra have to say when we show up in the control room." The Lord of the ThunderCats told them.

"What about us, Lion-O?" The other leaders wondered.

"Stay here. It'll be safer than in the middle of this. Willa you come with us." The lion said.

"My bow and arrows are locked away in the weapons room." The leader of the Warrior Maidens alerted the group.

"Then we'll hit there on the way up." Panthro smirked. "Besides I want to give those blasted Mutants a taste of something they'll not soon forget." Quickly the group headed out the door and up the main hallway.

Not too far away on level three, Pumyra, Ben-Gali, and Lynx-O were finding the halls very empty. The three could feel that something wasn't right.

"Where is the Thunder Guard?" The puma asked.

"I have no idea. They can't all fit in the control room." Ben-Gali said. The three rounded the corner and found the ramp to level two empty as well. However voices in the corridor ahead of it made them slow their pace. Hugging the walls, the three made it to the doorway where Ben-Gali poked the head of the Hammer of Thundera around the corner. The reflective surface told him all he needed to know. He quickly pulled the weapon back into the ramp and put it back in its holster.

"What is it?" Lynx-O asked.

"The entire Thunder Guard is in that hallway." The white tiger told them.

"So what do we do?" Pumyra wondered.

"I have no idea. Going out there right now would be like committing suicide." Ben-Gali said.

"Perhaps a distraction is in order then." Lynx-O told them.

"What kind of distraction?" The puma asked.

"We can use my light shield to temporarily blind them by reflecting the light from the main lamp overhead." He said.

"All right. But how do we stick it around the corner without anyone knowing?" Ben-Gali wondered.

"Leave that to me. I'll jump to a good vantage point and use it to buy you two enough time to get through." Pumyra told them. The white tiger was about to object but she wouldn't let him.

"I'll be fine, don't worry." The puma reassured him.

"Well then lets do it. Good luck Pumyra." Lynx-O said. With a nod and a smile, the female ThunderCat was gone.


	16. Chapter 16

The six ThunderCats and one Warrior Maiden found a similar situation as their friends had only minutes ago. They were able to hide themselves before the rounding hallway would give away their position.

"What do we do?" WilyKat asked.

"Can you use the Sword?" His sister wondered.

"They aren't ThunderCats. The Sword will have no effect on them." Lion-O said. Before anyone could suggest anything else, there was a commotion in the hallway. Cheetara poked her head around the corner to see the Thunder Guard moving closer to the control room. With their attention focused elsewhere, the weapons room would now be accessed easily.

"Let's move." She told the others and they quickly ran to the room. The door slid open and they ducked inside. Willa easily found her bow along with her arrows.

"How many of those sleep gas arrows do you have?" Lion-O asked.

"Three." Willa replied.

"We'll need them to put the Thunder Guard to sleep. That way we'll get into the control room easier and they won't get hurt." The Lord of the ThunderCats explained. Willa nodded and slung her quiver over her shoulder.

"What have you got there?" Tygra asked Panthro. The panther held three grenade-type objects.

"It's a form of warp gas." He answered nonchalantly.

"Warp gas?!" The orange tiger didn't like where this was going.

"A form of warp gas. This stuff is the legal version." Panthro assured him.

"But I thought that stuff was useless." Tygra said confused.

"Well yes and no. You'll see what I mean." The panther smirked and headed for the door.

"Let's go." Lion-O called to everyone and they headed out into the hallway. No one could predict what would happen but they had to be ready for anything.

In the meantime, the light idea had worked and two of the three remaining ThunderCats had made it into the control room. They stood and faced the four Mutants and Mumm-Ra.

"Look who's here." Slythe smirked.

"Who were you expecting?" Ben-Gali said as he pulled his hammer from its holster.

"Some bigger kitties, but no matter." The reptile replied. The two began to fight and Lynx-O was left without a weapon. Pumyra was still out in the hallway. Battle cries could be heard outside and the chance that the puma would be coming in soon didn't look good.

"You take the blind one." Monkian told Jackalman.

"Why do I have to?" The wild dog whined. The control room doors opened and Pumyra tumbled in, interrupted the whining. The distraction was enough for Lynx-O to hit Jackalman square on the chin. In an instant, Pumyra was on her feet and she joined the fray.

"Why are they wasting their efforts?" Vultureman asked Mumm-Ra.

"You said it yourself earlier. Not much going on upstairs." The mummy just shrugged. Vultureman grabbed the Amulet from around his neck and started to call to it.

"Amulet of Seti take hold of…" he never finished his sentence as the control room doors busted open and Lion-O, Panthro, Cheetara, Tygra, the ThunderKittens, and Willa arrived.

"The cavalry's here." Ben-Gali smiled.

"Took them long enough." Pumyra joked as she hit Monkian upside the head with her foot.

"Ho!" Lion-O shouted. The Sword of Omens obeyed its master, sending an energy blast in Vultureman's direction.


	17. Chapter 17

The Mutant saw the blast and didn't respond fast enough. It caught him squarely in the shoulder and he fell backward. Mumm-Ra watched as the group fought. The Amulet was his ticket. He grabbed the talisman off of Vultureman's neck.

"What are you doing?" The bird squawked.

"What you couldn't." Mumm-Ra laughed. Another blast from the Sword of Omens barely missed the mummy and he fired one back. That shot hit Lion-O in the stomach. He doubled over and fell to the floor. Immediately, Cheetara and Panthro were at his side. The others continued to battle with Slythe, Monkian, Jackalman, and some Thunder Guard members that were already in the room.

"Amulet of Seti…" That was all Mumm-Ra got out before Panthro grabbed him by the throat.

"I don't think so." The panther smirked. With one swift movement, Mumm-Ra used his free hand to try to blast the mighty ThunderCat. However Panthro saw the move coming and used his other hand to block it. Then the panther head butted the ever-living source of evil. Mumm-Ra cried out slightly and the Amulet fell from his hands. Cheetara saw it drop and dove for it. She caught the talisman and quickly went back to Lion-O who had wobbly come to his feet.

"We have to destroy it." Cheetara said. Lion-O licked his lips and said,

"Put it on the floor." The cheetah did as she was told. The Lord of the ThunderCats flipped the Sword of Omens in his hand and shoved the blade into the Amulet of Seti. Suddenly the room was flooded with a green light and everyone was knocked back. When the light vanished, the pieces of the ancient talisman disintegrated.

"Mutants fall back!" Slythe shouted. Quickly the four pulled themselves up headed for the door. Panthro saw his opportunity slipping away. He got up off the floor and flung one of the grenades. A strange smelling purple gas erupted from it and soon the Mutants were tripping over themselves.

"Thunder Guard arrest them!" Tygra ordered. With the spell broken the Thunderians grabbed the babbling creatures and hauled them away. Mumm-Ra saw he had lost and snapped his fingers. The mummy was gone before anyone could grab him.

"Everyone ok?" Ben-Gali called out now that the enemy had been defeated.

"Cuts and scrapes. Lion-O took a shot to the stomach. I'll get him to the infirmary." Cheetara replied.

"Lynx-O!" The shout got everyone's attention. Pumyra fell to her knees and quickly felt for a pulse.

"I'm getting a weak pulse. We have to get this out of him." The puma referred to the spear that was lodged in the lynx's stomach.

"Get the Extractor!" Tygra shouted, dropping down to aid Pumyra in stemming the blood flow. Panthro raced off down the hallway toward the sickbay.

"Let me go and help them." Lion-O told Cheetara. She nodded and helped him sit down, and then she went to help the others.

"Oh Jaga, Lynx-O stay with me." Pumyra begged him. The lynx opened his mouth slightly and tried to speak.

"Don't exert yourself, old friend. Panthro will be here soon." Tygra said. He stood and moved over to Ben-Gali and Cheetara.

"We'll have to pull the spear out. Brother you must help me with that. Cheetara get the Kittens out of here, they don't need to see this." The orders given, both cats went about what needed to be done.

"Pulling that thing out could kill him." Ben-Gali whispered.

"Leaving it in won't help either. I'm afraid that he may not survive anything we do. His age coupled with the blood loss…" the orange tiger stopped. Panthro burst into the room holding a stretcher and the Extractor. Quickly the four got to work. The spear was pulled out which caused more blood to flow, but with the lightening fast movements the extractor was put on Lynx-O. The alien technology whirred and clicked for twenty minutes before it stopped.


	18. Chapter 18

Pumyra stood over Lynx-O's bed in the infirmary. The Extractor had given up on the lynx when his heart had given out. She and Tygra were able to revive him but there was no telling if the oldest ThunderCat would come out of his comatose state.

The puma slipped her hand into Lynx-O's and gave it a squeeze. He didn't respond but that was to be expected; she just kept hoping he would wake up. The sickbay door opened and she turned her head to see Ben-Gali in the doorway. He moved toward her and wrapped his muscular arms around his mate. Pumyra let go of Lynx-O and buried her face into the white tiger's broad chest.

"It's my fault." She said.

"No, it isn't." Ben-Gali told her as he tried to comfort her.

"He would have had his light shield if I still hadn't had it." The puma fought back the tears that were coming. At first Ben-Gali said nothing. It was true, she hadn't given their friend back his shield but then she really hadn't been able to on account of the battle that was raging when she entered the control room.

"What's happened has happened. There isn't anything you can do about it. Lynx-O would not blame you for what occurred." He said.

"I will never forgive myself." Pumyra replied. That sentence was one that could end her career as a ThunderCat. She could not hang onto these awful feelings without putting herself and others in danger. The door opened again and Tygra walked in. He smiled slightly at seeing the two together and then spoke up.

"Lion-O wants to see you in his office."

"Both of us?" Ben-Gali asked.

"No, just Pumyra. I have already informed him of Lynx-O's condition and he wishes to speak to her." His orange brother said. At that point, Ben-Gali nodded and pulled himself away from the puma. He took her hand and led her from the room, leaving Tygra alone with his patient.

Not far from there Cheetara was trying to explain to the ThunderKittens how Lynx-O was doing without really telling them everything. She knew that the lynx was in serious trouble and that the possibility of death was very real. Dying was apart of life, in fact she had experienced it herself but she could not begin to explain what was happening to their friend.

"Why did we get pulled out of the control room?" WilyKat asked.

"Why is everyone behaving so sad?" WilyKit wondered.

"Lynx-O was hurt. He's not well but hopefully soon he will be." The cheetah said, not entirely believing her own words.

"Can we see him?" Kat inquired.

"Not right now." Cheetara smiled slightly. Kit could see that the older ThunderCat was just dancing around their questions. Things must have been pretty bad. She herself hadn't completely seen what had happened but the tome of Pumyra's voice had been one of worry.

"Why don't you guys go out for some air? The sun will be setting soon and there's still time for an afternoon ride." Cheetara suggested. Kat jumped at the chance, he loved zipping around Third Earth and he had missed it. Kit however waited until her brother was out of the room before she said,

"I'm not a little cub anymore. If there is something I should know, tell me, don't dance around it." Cheetara's reply was to shake her head 'no'. Kit left the room annoyed but she would find out soon enough how bad things really were.

Pumyra knocked on the big door that led into Lion-O's office. She heard him call out the word 'enter' and the door slid open. Quietly, she took the seat that he offered in front of his desk.

"Tygra said you wanted to see me." She said; her voice wavered slightly.

"I have to confirm what happened earlier for the record." He said.

"I understand." Pumyra's voice was now firm as it usually was. She then proceeded to go through the events leading up to what had happened. The Lord of the ThunderCats took note of everything and then spoke.

"Do you feel that medically there isn't much left to do?" He asked.

"The spear had to be removed and the Extractor did its job of sealing up the wound but his age and the blood loss were too much. His heart failed and his body is trying to cope with the shock." Pumyra told him.

"And the Extractor wouldn't work on his condition?" Lion-O wondered.

"No. It only handles external injuries and their results not internal ones." She said sadly.

"I thought so. I want you to know that none of this is on you. You followed my instructions and did what you had to do to reach the control room. You were not brash nor were you out of line. I understand that you believe it is your fault but its not. It's mine. I made a bad decision; expecting you, Ben-Gali, and Lynx-O to fight that many Thunder Guard members off was stupid. I will convene a tribunal in three days. If Lynx-O has not improved then I will do what is necessary." Lion-O told her.

"What is that?" Pumyra asked. The Lord of the ThunderCats answer was to tell her she was dismissed. Quickly the puma ran to find Cheetara.


	19. Chapter 19

The monitors beeped their steady beeps as they normally would. It was the only noise that filled the infirmary.

"BEEP BEEP BEEP." Tygra sat nearby checking on Lynx-O every five minutes. It was silly really, he could check on him every fifteen minutes but he wished that his checking would somehow make the lynx pull through. Everyone looked to the eldest ThunderCat for counsel and wisdom. Ben-Gali, Pumyra, and the lynx were a very tight knit group because of everything they'd been through and he was like a father figure to them.

"BEEP BEEP BEEP." It had been two days since the battle in the control room. The orange tiger pulled up the message on the computer in front of him. Lion-o had sent out the notice of the tribunal. It was customary to have one in a situation such as this but the fact of the matter was that very often they just skipped it. Only when one of the senior members believed that something had gone far too awry would they call for a hearing. Scuttlebutt among the others was that after Lion-O's meeting with Pumyra, the puma had found Cheetara and the two talked about what the Lord of the ThunderCats had in mind. Right now however both female ThunderCats had remained tight lipped about the situation.

"BEEP BEEP BEEP." Pumyra would be coming on soon to take over for him, maybe she'd tell him.

"BEEP BEEP BEEEEEEEEEP!" Tygra was pulled from his thoughts as the monitor alerted him to Lynx-O's heart failure. He sounded the alarm and hoped that the others would respond quickly. The orange tiger charged the defibrillator paddles.

"BEEEEEEEEEP!" The noise continued and Pumyra followed by Ben-Gali rushed into the room.

"I've got the paddles." Tygra informed them as he started chest compressions.

"I'll start bagging him." Pumyra grabbed the bag that had a nose-mouth mask attached to it and pulled a stool up near Lynx-O's head. Ben-Gali took over his brother's spot.

"CLEAR!" The orange tiger shouted. The other two pulled back and the defibrillator paddles sent a charge through the lynx's body.

"BEEEEEEEEEP!" Pumyra began to force air in the unresponsive ThunderCat's lungs.

"Charge to 300!" Tygra ordered. Ben-Gali moved from his position and cranked the dial up as the others entered the room.

"CLEAR!" Again a charge went through Lynx-O's body and again nothing. Pumyra continued to force the air in hoping his heart and lungs would get the idea.

"Charge to 350!" Panthro this time was the one who pushed the dial higher.

"CLEAR!" A third charge and still there was no response. Tygra looked at the clock. Lynx-O had been officially dead for seventeen minutes. Even if he did come around, he would be a vegetable. Little or no brain function, just enough to keep the rest of his body alive.

"He's still not responding! Do it again!" Pumyra shouted as Ben-Gali continued the chest compressions.

"Give me some adrenaline!" This was their last option. With lightening fast speed, Cheetara grabbed the large needle and handed it to Tygra. The orange tiger had Ben-Gali move and the he raised the needle up and brought it down as hard as he could into Lynx-O's chest. He pressed the plunger down and waited a few seconds.

"BEEEEEEEEEP!" Nothing happened. If there was going to be any reaction it should have been instantaneously. Tygra shook his head and indicated for Panthro to shut the machines off. The constant sound stopped and everyone looked at the clock.

"Time of death, 15:23." Tygra announced. Silence filled the room. No one could trust that Lynx-O was gone. Pumyra shook her head and refused to believe it. She started to try to force air into the lynx's lungs. Ben-Gali stopped her and pulled her away. Tears streamed down her face. She cried out and the white tiger could do nothing but let silent tears fall down his face as well.

Tears streamed down Cheetara's face and she turned to Lion-O who stood there with a blank stare. The lion didn't respond when she wrapped her arms around him. Tygra covered the body of Lynx-O up with a sheet and began to slowly pack away the medical equipment. The only words that were spoken came from their leader's mouth.

"What have I done?"


	20. Chapter 20

It only took two days to erect Lynx-O's tomb. Thunderians from every village helped the ThunderCats build the stone monument measuring fifteen feet in length and eight feet tall. Inside the room, a stone coffin would sit in the middle of the floor. The casket would be six and three-quarters feet long, two and a half feet across, and one and a half feet deep; Tygra had memorized the dimensions and they would forever be etched into his memory.

On The third day, all the ThunderCats returned to New Thundera, leaving the Thunder Guard to watch over the Mutant prisoners. Tradition required Lynx-O to be buried with honor just as he had served the peoples of Third Earth and New Thundera. He was dressed in his best military uniform and carried his weapon at his side.

All the ThunderCats quickly dressed in their military uniforms upon landing on their home planet and then Lion-O, Panthro, Tygra, Ben-Gali, Cheetara, and Pumyra removed the temporary casket from the spaceship as the ThunderKittens draped it in the flag of Thundera. Two members of the Thunder Guard stood in front of the group and began to beat their drums somberly. The procession made its way to a place called the Valley of the ThunderCats just behind Cat's Lair. It would be not only Lynx-O's final resting place but also theirs when the time came. There everyone from Thundera gathered. The casket was led into the tomb and the flag was removed. The red and black flag was then hung on twp hooks that jutted from the wall. Next Lynx-O's body was gingerly removed from the wooden casket and placed in the stone one. The lid was then pushed back over the top and the group stood back. Lion-O lifted the Sword of Omens and cried,

"HO!" Blue energy shot forth and effectively sealed the stone coffin. Then the Lord of the ThunderCats called again.

"HO!" The Sword of Omens extended all the way to its full length and the Eye of Thundera roared. The Cat Signal shot forth and etched itself into the top of Lynx-O's casket. Then Lion-O put the Sword back into the Claw Shield and stood at rapt attention. The others followed suit and then all of them put their hands against the center of their chests in a salute-like manner. Silence enveloped them for what seemed like a very long while before finally Lion-O dropped his arm. The others did the same and they filed out of the stone monument. Later that evening a great bonfire would be held and the wooden casket burned so that no one would ever use it again but for now all returned to their homes. Lion-O went to the cat's Head and pulled the Sword of Omens once again from its sheath.

"Thunder, thunder, thunder, THUNDERCATS HO!" The great Cat Signal shot forth into the sky and the mighty Cat roared for all to hear. It would ring out for five minutes letting everyone know that today a ThunderCat had been buried.

Later, as the sun dipped behind the distant mountains, the ThunderCats stood outside cat's Lair. Lynx-O's empty wooden casket was on top of a platform made from tree branches, soaked in a flammable liquid. Lion-O turned to his comrades and the people who gathered.

"Lynx-O was a loyal ThunderCat, trusted advisor, and good friend. He never had a bad word to say about anyone and never complained about losing his sight. He always offered to help and never shied away from what needed to be done. We will miss you Lynx-O. Your friendship, your kindness, your valor, and your courage will never be forgotten. Farewell, old friend, may you rest well in paradise among those that have passed before you." The Lord of the ThunderCats lifted his sword and shouted,

"HO!" An energy blast shot forth from the blade and ignited the large wooden pyre. Then he turned toward the sky and shouted once more.

"HO!" The other ThunderCats followed suit. The Eye of Thundera roared and another blast of energy shot from the mighty weapon, lighting up the night sky. Soon the townspeople began to disperse and head home once more. Tomorrow would dawn a new day and things would return to some sense of normal.

Pumyra stood near the blaze staring into it. Its warmth didn't comfort her but in fact it felt as though it burned her flesh. She had let Lynx-O down and now she would never talk to the man she often considered her father. The puma felt Ben-Gali's loving hand on her shoulder and she turned to him. She could see the love in his eyes and knew that from this moment on it would just be the two of them and nothing would ever be normal again.


	21. Chapter 21

The following morning all the ThunderCats gathered in the counsel room with the exception of the ThunderKittens who remained on guard in the control room. Everyone took their seats and it was painfully obvious that the seat between Ben-Gali and Panthro sat empty.

"I've called this tribunal for an obvious reason. We have lost a good comrade and friend and now we must decide our next course of action." Lion-O was the first to speak. Silence fell amongst the others. No one was really sure what to say. After a few minutes, Tygra cleared his throat.

"I don't know if Pumyra agrees but medically, we did all we could. We tried to revive him for close to twenty minutes. There was nothing else for us to do." The orange tiger told the group.

"I agree." Pumyra said. The words killed her but she knew Tygra was right.

"Then the fault lies with the plan." Lion-O nodded. He had already made his mind up three days ago.

"There is only one thing that can be done." The lion continued. He rose from his seat and pulled the Claw Shield and Sword of Omens from his hip.

"As of this moment, I resign my post as Lord of the ThunderCats." No one said anything as the lion headed for the door. This whole situation was shocking and confusing. However one cat knew she couldn't let him leave like that. Cheetara left her seat and followed Lion-O out into the hallway.

"What are you doing?" She asked him.

"It's my fault Lynx-O is dead. I was rash to think that my plan had any kind of hope of succeeding without such as horrible outcome." The lion told her as he continued to walk away.

"Are you forgetting something? Lynx-O did not die from a Thunder Guard member's weapon but Jackalman's.  _ **He**_  is the one to blame.  _ **He**_  is the one to blame.  _ **He**_  is the one who used that spear to stab Lynx-O. No one else did. He is the one who should pay for this." Cheetara said as she easily caught up to him. This made Lion-O stop in his tracks. The cheetah put her hand on his big muscular shoulder. He turned to her and said,

"I feel responsible. I am –was- the Lord of the ThunderCats. I am honor bound to take responsibility."

"Even if you where not at fault? We all know the risks involved with our job, yet here we all stand. Lynx-O knew them too. Everyday we stand in the face of danger and do not blink because we know that we must protect this planet and its people. We would all lay our lives on the line for them and for you at a moment's notice. We are feared throughout the galaxy and if we do not stand together now, our enemies will come at us. We will fight but eventually we will fall." Cheetara said. She was right, now was not the time to be weak, no matter how much Lynx-O's death hurt. However, he had given up on being the Lord of the ThunderCats.

"Someone else must lead you now." The lion gave a sad smile and left the cheetah standing at the entrance to Cat's Lair. She stood there unsure of what to do next. Her heart said to follow him but her head said to go and tell the others. It only took a few moments before she realized the others would have to decide his fate and she took off after her mate.

Back in the counsel room, Panthro stood up and grabbed the Sword and Claw Shield. He would not stand for the other's hesitance.

"Lion-O is our leader and nothing in my mind is going to change that. He's not the reason that Lynx-O is dead. Jackalman is and that blasted Mutant will pay." The panther stormed out of the room and headed after the two that had left before him leaving just Tygra, Ben-Gali, and Pumyra in their seats. Two of them got up and went after the engineer, leaving Tygra alone in the room.


	22. Chapter 22

Lion-O soon found he had a companion as he walked off of the last paved stones of Cat's Lair.

"You know you're very stubborn." Cheetara said.

"This is true but I have made a decision and that is to give up my title and privilege. The only thing that will change that is a unanimous vote by the remaining ThunderCats in favor of restoring me as Lord of the ThunderCats." Lion-O told her.

"You don't think you can get it? Do you remember what I said earlier? 'We would all lay our lives on the line for you', remember?" The cheetah hoped this was getting through his thick skull.

"Yes, I remember and I was kind of hoping that the others would follow me out that door but only you came." He said.

"Do you not want me here?" She asked slightly offended.

"What I meant was that on a personal level you are all that matters but on a professional level…" he never got to finish as he heard his name being shouted. The two turned around and saw Panthro, Pumyra, and Ben-Gali running towards them.

"You two make good time." Ben-Gali huffed as he pointed out how far away from the Lair they had managed to get in such a short time.

"Can't help it, she's a cheetah." Lion-O smirked.

"I think this belongs to you." Panthro said, handing the Sword of Omens and Claw Shield to him.

"So you voted while we were away. That's what took so long." The lion smiled and gladly accepted what was rightfully his.

"Yes we did." The panther lied. None of them really knew what Tygra was thinking but they had agreed it didn't matter.

"Well then there is work to be done. We need to get back to Third Earth and deal with the Mutants." Lion-O said.

"Agreed. The ThunderKittens can stay here and we will deal with those blasted Mutants." Panthro nodded. The group then began to walk back and discussed their options about how to handle their prisoners. As they neared the Lair, Lion-O stopped.

"What is it?" Cheetara asked.

"I just had this awful thought." The lion told them.

"What?" Pumyra wondered.

"Can we not tell Snarf what happened?" Lion-O pleaded, trying to lighten the mood. At this the group laughed.

"The Lord of the ThunderCats afraid of a snarf?" Ben-Gali teased.

"I just don't want him to make a fuss. That is the last thing we all need." The lion defended himself.

"I swear not to tell." Cheetara smiled and gave him a bump with her elbow. The other three followed with similar promises.

"Good now that that is settled lets see what's for dinner. I'm starving." Ben-Gali said.

"Sounds great, I don't know how much longer I could control my stomach growling." Panthro told them. Laughter once again could be heard as they climbed the steps to the entrance of the ThunderCats' fortress.

WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

Around two am, the lair's silence was broken by the sound of a door opening. Footsteps could be heard heading down the vacant hallways. Another door opened and the lion took his seat behind his desk. He had a lot on his mind and lying awake in his bed wasn't helping.

First on his mind was how to deal with the Mutants. Banishing Monkian, Vultureman, and Slythe was the easy part but dealing with Jackalman wasn't going to be so easy. As the Lord of the ThunderCats, he would have the final say as to what would happen and after dinner he'd ordered the security tapes from Third Earth. They had been beamed over immediately and the lion had stored them on disks to review in his office. He had watched and rewatched them for hours and poured through the books on Thunderian law. It was obvious that when he destroyed the Amulet of Seti, the resulting force that had knocked everyone back had forced Jackalman on top of Lynx-O. In all actuality, the jackal had inadvertently killed Lynx-O. However, on the other hand wasn't that his intent? Hadn't the Mutants tried to take over the planet? Weren't they trying to rid themselves of the ThunderCats? This is where things got fuzzy.

According to the law book, killing someone on purpose is murder. An accidental death however is manslaughter. Only murder gave an option for a death sentence whereas manslaughter only offered a prison sentence. Should he even consider manslaughter or was he being too lenient? Then again, Lynx-O died from a wound received in battle so was it even a chargeable offense? Lion-O then spent some time looking at the war crime offenses. All that did was make his mind more confused. He sat and pondered it for a little while until he eventually decided he needed something to help him relax, so he got up from his seat and headed for the kitchen.

On his way down there he heard animated voices coming from the control room. They were not loud enough to wake others but loud enough to be heard through the door. He soon recognized Panthro and Tygra's voices. There was a scuffle followed by the panther saying,

"Are we going to have a problem?"

"No." Tygra replied. "I agreed with you didn't I?"

"I'd still like to know why you didn't follow us this afternoon." Panthro said. Lion-O had been wondering too but he hadn't brought it up.

"I told you that someone had to stay with the Kittens." The tiger responded.

"Bull shit. They don't need that much help anymore. Did you really think that Lion-O doesn't deserve to be our leader?" Panthro's anger grew. Lion-O waited for the answer but got nothing as he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"You should be in bed. We are flying to Third Earth in a few hours." Cheetara said.

"Why aren't you in bed?" He asked.

"I was looking for you. I figured since your office was empty, the kitchen would be the next spot to check. Besides when you don't sleep, neither do I." She told him. With that the two headed for bed while Lion-O wondered what Tygra had been holding back.


	23. Chapter 23

The Thunder Guard brought the four prisoners into the mini-Thunderian courtroom. The ThunderCats sat at their panel along the left side of the wall. They had reached Third Earth only three hours before and were now ready to deal with their old enemies.

"What have you been up to ThunderCatssss?" Slythe spoke up when he saw them.

"We buried Lynx-O two days ago." Lion-O said his face was stolid.

"So it seems we managed to do something good." The reptile smirked.

"The perpetrator will be punished accordingly I assure you." Lion-O told him. The doors to the room then opened and in walked Mandora and Captain Bragg.

"Speaking of punishment, Captain, I do believe three of these Mutants belong to you." The Lord of the ThunderCats said.

"Indeed they do." The bounty hunter smiled.

"Thunder Guard please escort the prisoners out to the Circus Train." Three of the Thunder Guard members nodded and grabbed Slythe, Monkian, and Vultureman. The three of them were surprised to see that Jackalman was the one that was getting left behind.

"That mutt is the one that killed a ThunderCat?" Slythe asked in disbelief.

"How did that happen?" Monkian screeched. Then the three started bickering as they were led outside.

"What are you going to do with me?" Jackalman whimpered.

"You killed a ThunderCat, what do you think is going to happen?" Panthro stood up. The jackal cringed as Lion-O stopped the panther from going any further.

"I have reviewed the tapes and read through the law books and I have spent a long time trying to decide what your punishment should be. There is no doubt in my mind that you should pay for what you have done." The lion explained. He nodded to Mandora, who stepped in and grabbed her prisoner.

"Jackalman, you are hereby charged and found guilty of war crimes. The charges include illegal possession of warp gas and murder of Lynx-O the ThunderCat in the second degree. Your fifty to life sentence will be carried out on the Penal Planet until you are either released on parole or die of old age." Mandora told him. She then turned to Lion-O and asked,

"Permission to remove this scumbag from your custody?"

"Permission granted. One more thing before you go though." He said. The Evil Chaser nodded and the lion began.

"Before you go thinking that I spared you because I couldn't in good conscience end your life, realize that I didn't end it because it would be too good for you. You deserve the worst punishment possible and for it to drag out for the rest of your life." With that Mandora took her prisoner and left the room. Now the only one that remained besides the ThunderCats was the leader of the Thunder Guard's Third Earth contingent.

"Major Lupi, please step forward." The litah did as she was commanded.

"I want you to know that your troops are not at fault for what occurred. They had no control over what was going on and they will not be penalized in any way." Lion-O said.

"Yes sir. Thank you sir. My men and I would like to give our condolences for Lynx-O. He was a good cat and will surely be missed." The Major told them.

"Thank you. You are dismissed." Lion-O nodded. With that the litah gave a salute, turned on her heels and left. The room now only held ThunderCats.

"Well said and a wise decision, Lion-O. Jaga would be proud." Panthro told him.

"Thank you." The lion said half-heartedly.

"Where did the warp gas charge come from?" Cheetara asked.

"He had it on him when the Thunder Guard stripped him of his belongings." Tygra spoke up. The others nodded and a silence fell between them for a few minutes. Finally Pumyra got up and left the room. The rest soon followed. Lion-O wondered if he had given the puma the closure she was looking for. He'd seen how hard this whole ordeal had been on her and he hoped that she would be able to live with his decision.

Later that night, he found himself up in the Cat's head yet again. Cheetara soon joined him and the two sat in silence and enjoyed the cool night air.

"Somehow I knew you'd be up here." The puma's voice surprised them.

"It's a good place to be." Lion-O said. A silence fell between them as Cheetara excused herself. They two watched the sunset and then Pumyra spoke up.

"I want you to know that I think you made a good decision today."

"Really? I thought you were upset." The lion said.

"I was but I realized that telling Jackalman what you did was the best thing. A part of me wants the jackal to die, I'd be lying if I said any different but putting him to death won't bring Lynx-O back. That and Lynx-O would not want me to live with such horrible thoughts." She told him.

"It wasn't an easy decision to make believe me but I remember that Jaga once told me that the best way to defeat our enemies was to do it by kindness. Sparing his life the best kind thing I could think of because I imagine his prison sentence will not at all be pleasant." Lion-O gave a half smile.

"Well it's over and somehow we'll manage to still fight another day." Pumyra smiled slightly herself. The Lord of the ThunderCats nodded. It would be difficult to get over the loss of their friend but somehow through their friendship they would deal with it.

**The End**


End file.
